Harold Mason | |
|---|---|
| Member of theNew South Wales Parliament forWoollahra | |
| In office 26 June 1937 – 24 February 1938 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Daniel Levy |
| Succeeded by | Vernon Treatt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 January 1890 Hunters Hill,New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 8 May 1949(1949-05-08) (aged 59) Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Political party | IndependentUAP |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Anthony Mason (nephew) |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney |
| Profession | Barrister |
Harold Harvey MasonKC (28 January 1890 – 8 May 1949) was an Australian barrister and politician. He was a member of theNew South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1938, representing the seat ofWoollahra as an independent aligned with theUnited Australia Party (UAP).
Mason was born on 28 January 1890 inHunters Hill, New South Wales. He was the son of Sarah Jane (née Dunn) and William Henry Mason; his father was a shipping master at thePort of Sydney.[1]
Mason attendedFort Street High School and went on to theUniversity of Sydney, graduatingBachelor of Laws in 1913 with first-class honours.[2]
Mason served hisarticles of clerkship with George Crichton Smith and was called to theNew South Wales Bar in 1913.[1] He was anassociate to judgeA. H. Simpson of theSupreme Court of New South Wales.[2]
As a barrister, Mason practised primarily inequity and bankruptcy.[1] In 1915, he and Claude Weston publishedPrecedents in Equity, later regarded as the first leading textbook on equity in New South Wales.[3] He was appointedKing's Counsel in 1934.[1]
Mason frequently appeared before theHigh Court of Australia and theJudicial Committee of the Privy Council on appeals cases. In 1936, he attracted attention as the first Australian barrister to fly to England to appear in an appeal before the Privy Council.[2] He also represented in several challenges to national security regulations during World War II.[4]
Mason was elected to theNew South Wales Legislative Assembly ata 1937 by-election for the seat ofWoollahra, following the death ofDaniel Levy. He was a member of theUnited Australia Party (UAP) and proclaimed himself as a supporter of the government of UAP premierBertram Stevens, but at the by-election stood as an independent in opposition to the endorsed UAP candidate.[5]
Mason regarded his victory as a vote againstpreselection, the process by which only a single endorsed candidate would be nominated by the UAP prior to the election.[5] Following his election, the UAP state council determined that Mason should not be admitted to the parliamentary party, with Stevens stating that "the nature of the campaign being conducted by Mr. Mason puts him outside the pale of the party".[6] Mason subsequently joined the parliamentarycrossbench.[7]
Mason opted not to re-contest Woollahra at the1938 state election, stating "another term in the House would be a waste of time".[8]
In 1914, Mason married Marjorie Macken, with whom he had four children.[1] His nephewAnthony Mason followed him into the legal profession and becamechief justice of Australia.[9]
Outside of politics and the law, Mason served as a director of Sydney department storeMark Foy's.[10] He was also the owner of "Spring Valley", a grazing property of 2,000 acres (810 ha) located in theMolonglo Valley section of theAustralian Capital Territory. At the time of his death, there were approximately 1,900 sheep on the property.[11]
Mason died on 8 May 1949 after falling about 100 feet (30 m) over a cliff above the Molonglo River.[12] His body was recovered by a search party the following day, after he was reported missing.[4] A coronial inquest concluded the fall was accidental and occurred after he "slipped in a soft patch of soil on the cliff-top immediately above the spot where his body was found".[12]
Mason was interred at theNorthern Suburbs Crematorium. His estate was valued for probate at £67,105 (equivalent to $3,910,000 in 2022).[13]
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forWoollahra 1937–1938 | Succeeded by |